Ghislain's axe swung down toward the neck of the knight who was kneeling.
Just before the knight's neck was severed.
"Wait."
Ghislain's voice echoed, and the axe halted.
Drip, drip…
The axe had stopped precisely at the knight's throat, but a slight cut on the nape of his neck caused blood to drip steadily.
"Huff, huff!"
The knight, still on his knees, gasped repeatedly for breath.
'Th-these maniacs!'
Had Ghislain not stopped midway, his neck would have surely been severed.
As he stared at the blood trickling down his neck and soaking the ground, the knight's body trembled uncontrollably.
'What on earth…'
He couldn't make sense of the situation.
Though the young lord had always been an annoying troublemaker, he was never someone to be feared.
But now, things were different.
'He's terrifying.'
A powerful, overwhelming presence filled the area.
The mercenaries around him exuded a clear sense of loyalty toward the young lord.
'He wasn't like this before. What could have happened?'
The young lord, both in character and skill, had been lacking. He couldn't even command respect from the lowest of soldiers.
Wasn't this the same young lord who had been subtly mocked and despised by even the most insignificant soldiers?
It was unfathomable that these rough mercenaries would follow him so devotedly, to the point of risking their lives.
Step, step.
Meanwhile, Ghislain approached leisurely, scanning his surroundings.
The frozen soldiers dropped their weapons and knelt as soon as he neared.
Even those who had previously looked down on the young lord were now too overwhelmed by the atmosphere to harbor such thoughts.
"This could have turned into a serious incident if I hadn't stopped. Were you terrified?"
Ghislain smiled and helped the knight to his feet.
He lightly patted the knight on the shoulder and continued speaking.
"I'm a pacifist at heart, but my boys have had a rough time, so they can be a bit harsh. So, let's get along from now on."
"Y-yes… yes, sir."
It was clear he meant, Don't even think about picking a fight.
'He should have understood by now.'
Though many more clashes would surely occur in the future, for the time being, this was enough.
"Anyway, since my father has called, I should fulfill my duty as his son and go. Will you tie me up? I'm not exactly into being bound, you know."
When Ghislain extended his arms and asked, the knight quickly shook his head.
He had originally planned to bind him tightly and drag him away in humiliation, but now he couldn't muster the courage.
With the mercenaries glaring at him menacingly, as if ready to pounce at any moment, the only thing on his mind was getting out of there as fast as possible.
"Good. I'm glad our tastes align. Once we arrive, make sure to arrange a place for the mercenaries to rest. Also, Belinda has sustained severe internal injuries, so prepare for her treatment."
The knight glanced briefly at the unconscious Belinda and the ragged mercenaries before nodding.
"Understood. I'll take care of it immediately."
At the knight's gesture, a few soldiers rushed forward and began pulling the cart carrying Belinda.
Soon after, the knight took the lead, with soldiers surrounding Ghislain.
The mercenaries followed behind, swaggering, but the sharp aura they had initially exuded had already faded.
As Ghislain and the mercenaries emerged from the forest, a large crowd, including laborers, rushed toward them.
They had all heard from the soldiers that the lord had ordered the young lord to be brought in.
The people whispered as they watched Ghislain following the knight.
"What's going on? What kind of trouble did the young lord cause this time?"
"I heard the lord told him not to enter the Forest of Beasts. But apparently, the young lord went in on his own?"
"A lot of people are missing. Less than half of them made it back."
"They must've all died. What was he thinking, trying to clear the forest?"
"Is that a pile of rocks? Looks like there are some monster corpses, too… Did he go in just to get those?"
As the crowd grew, more and more people began to gossip, each commenting on Ghislain and the mercenaries.
It was no surprise. The mercenaries' numbers had significantly dwindled compared to when they first entered the forest, and those who survived looked like blood-soaked, injured soldiers.
Most people thought it was a miracle that they even made it back alive.
Since they were being escorted under the lord's orders, the general consensus was that Ghislain would surely face severe punishment this time.
Listening to the crowd's murmurs, Ghislain turned to the knight next to him and asked.
"Hm, I don't see Skovan among the guards. What happened to him? Did he go on vacation or something?"
"…He was imprisoned for the crime of making a false report to the lord. He will soon be stripped of his knightly title as well."
"Aha, that's unfortunate. A vacation would have been much better. Seems he's being punished because of me."
Ghislain spoke as if it were nothing, causing the knight to twitch his lips.
Skovan had been imprisoned for submitting a false report about Ghislain and the mercenaries' whereabouts.
From the start, it couldn't have been hidden forever.
Though it had bought Ghislain and his group some time, by now, Skovan was probably in his cell, pounding the ground in regret.
Ghislain nodded and headed straight for the castle with the knight.
Though his appearance was ragged and disheveled, he walked confidently toward the great hall.
He boldly pushed open the doors after issuing a few orders to Ghislain.
Boom!
Inside the hall, most of the retainers had already gathered.
They frowned as they gazed at Ghislain.
At first glance, he looked like nothing more than a defeated soldier who barely escaped with his life.
However, that wasn't what was important at the moment.
There was something much larger and more urgent to discuss.
"I've returned, Father."
Despite Ghislain's greeting, Zwalter remained silent, his face etched with fury.
After glaring at Ghislain for a long while, Zwalter spoke in a low, seething voice.
"I told you clearly that I did not permit the clearing of the Forest of Beasts."
"I'm sorry. I believed it was a necessary task."
At that response, several of the retainers stepped forward and shouted loudly.
"Defying the lord's orders is a grave offense! How could you be so thoughtless?"
"We specifically warned you not to go in! What would you have done if monsters had poured out?"
"And to manipulate a knight into making a false report! Have you lost your mind?"
As the retainers' voices grew louder, their criticisms of Ghislain escalating, Zwalter raised his hand to silence them.
"You disobeyed my command, and you will be punished accordingly. It's a bit late, but since you've been brought here now, that matter can be dealt with… However…"
Zwalter glared at Ghislain, suppressing his anger.
"What exactly have you been up to?"
Ghislain tilted his head slightly, lost in thought.
It didn't sound like Zwalter was referring to the incident in the Forest of Beasts.
Since he had already said that punishment would be dealt for that, it had to be something else.
Ghislain pondered momentarily, wondering if there was some other incident he couldn't recall, before finally responding.
"I'm not sure what you mean."
His nonchalant answer prompted Homerne to step forward, shouting angrily.
"A few days ago, a messenger arrived from Raypold Estate! They've declared they will cease all support for Ferdium Estate! And it's all because of you, Young Lord!"
Ghislain tilted his head again before asking.
"And what was the reason?"
"They say you visited Lady Amelia and extorted 20,000 gold under the guise of estate support! Count Raypold found out about it, and in his rage, he has broken off the engagement and cut off all support! And you took the money in advance, didn't you?!"
Homerne was fuming, while Ghislain wore an expression of genuine admiration.
Amelia secretly growing her merchant guild was still a closely guarded secret.
That's why she must have willingly handed over the 20,000 gold—to keep Ghislain from speaking.
For her to suddenly publicize the matter meant that she no longer cared if rumors spread.
'Amelia, as expected, you're not to be underestimated.'
Ghislain truly admired her.
Amelia must have taken all the necessary precautions to disregard any potential rumors in that short time.
She had also turned the situation around to use it against Ghislain.
With a perfect excuse now to cut off support from Raypold Estate, they wouldn't have ignored Amelia's bait.
As Ghislain remained silent, lost in thought, Homerne's frustration grew, and he shouted even more furiously.
"What on earth are you thinking?! Say something! Do you realize what a terrible crime you've committed?!"
This time, Albert, the treasurer, spoke in a cold tone.
"Even if the support has been reduced, Raypold Estate provides the most. If their support is cut off, Ferdium Estate won't be able to function properly."
Still, Ghislain said nothing, and Randolph, unable to hold back any longer, screamed in frustration.
"Aaaargh! You miserable brat! Brother, don't stop me today! I'm going to snap that bastard's spine in half! We don't need a prison! I'll teach him a lesson right here, right now!"
Randolph tried to lunge at Ghislain, but the other retainers and soldiers barely managed to restrain him.
The tense atmosphere only grew worse as the retainers began to chime in one after another.
"This is a serious crime! If it were anyone else, they'd be facing execution!"
"He claimed he was trying to save the estate by clearing the Forest of Beasts, but he's actually bringing ruin upon it instead!"
The retainers, now thoroughly riled up, showed no sign of stopping.
At this point, Ghislain's unauthorized venture into the Forest of Beasts, which had nearly endangered the estate, was no longer their primary concern.
No monsters had appeared, and since Ghislain had returned alive, they only needed to punish him and lock him up in prison.
However, cutting off Raypold's support wouldn't be resolved just by punishing Ghislain.
Managing an already impoverished and struggling estate had been nerve-wracking for them, and now, they must be at their wit's end.
'In any case, Amelia sure knows how to torment people with money. Ugh, she's ruthless. Ugh, she's terrifying.'
Ghislain clicked his tongue inwardly as he glanced at the vassals.
Their expressions were a mixture of anger and anxiety.
It was only natural, given their worries about how to manage the estate moving forward.
Meanwhile, Homerne, watching Ghislain's indifferent expression, felt a surge of anger that made his head spin.
'He doesn't even understand the magnitude of the mess he's caused! This idiot!'
Entering the Forest of Beasts on a whim could be written off as just another of his usual mishaps.
But this was the first time he had caused a blunder so great that it could shake the foundation of the estate.
Despite the vassals' anger, Albert, the treasurer, tried to remain calm as he continued his calculations.
He had to figure out how to recover whatever remained of the 20,000 gold.
They would need that money to hold on while they figure out their next steps.
"Young Lord, how much of the 20,000 gold remains?"
In response to Albert's cold question, Ghislain smiled faintly and answered.
"I've spent almost all of it on hiring mercenaries and laborers, as well as on materials and food supplies for the base."
"You mean you've already spent that huge sum…?"
"That's right. I have a bit of a heavy hand when it comes to spending. Hahaha."
"Ugh! That bastard… Lock him up immediately!"
Even Albert, who rarely showed his emotions, staggered as his frustration boiled over.
Now, the estate was doomed.
Without the funds to maintain the troops, they would have been unable to fend off the barbarians' attacks.
They'd have to abandon the estate and flee if they valued their lives.
Homerne urgently turned to Zwalter and spoke.
"Lord! You must immediately escort this bastard… no, the Young Lord, to Raypold's estate to apologize. If we don't, we'll all be dead. That bastard, he's not even human! He's a scoundrel! Ah, I'm sorry, my lord! I didn't mean to call you a dog."
The vassals were at their wits' end, unsure how to resolve this mess.
He had taken money from his fiancée, but it turned out to be the support funds for the estate.
And he had spent all of it on whatever he pleased.
From the vassals' perspective, no madman had ever been as insane as this one.
Ghislain's outrageous behavior had now crossed a line.
Zwalter, who had been silently listening to the vassals, glared fiercely at Ghislain.
"Is all of this true?"
"It is. I received the money… for a different reason, but I don't think any excuse will work now."
Zwalter closed his eyes tightly and leaned back in his chair at his son's reply.
If it were anyone else, he would have had their head cut off for such a serious crime.
'I should have raised him more strictly and corrected him earlier. I'm the real dog here. The real dog.'
Because he had always been away, preoccupied with external affairs, he had paid little attention to his children.
The result was now an unmanageable catastrophe.
While Zwalter remained silent, filled with disappointment and regret over his son, Homerne stepped forward and shouted.
"You are no longer the Young Lord but a criminal! Kneel immediately!"
Ghislain responded nonchalantly.
"My knees aren't in great shape, so kneeling might be difficult. Besides, it's not that serious of a mistake, is it?"
"You insolent bastard! Do you truly not understand the gravity of what you've done?!"
"How could I not know? I'm the one who did it."
"And yet, you stand there with your head held high! Ugh, my neck!"
Just as Homerne was on the verge of collapsing from the stress, Ghislain snapped his fingers and shouted toward the door.
"Bring it in!"
At that moment, Gillian entered, carrying a large chest.
Thud!
The chest, more significant than a person, landed heavily on the floor with a deep sound.
Ghislain placed his hand on the chest, a playful smile on his face.
"Now, take a look. This is how you make an investment."
As soon as he finished speaking, he flung open the lid of the chest.
A brilliant blue light radiated out in all directions.